Manufacture of tape, cord, yarn, rope, fabric, or other material produced from fibers



FABRIC, on OTHER ERS April 21, 1925.

e. E. ANDREW MANUFACTURE OF TAPE, CORD, YARN, ROPE,

MATERIAL PRODUCED FROM FIB 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 li'uz/e IVE-hr Filed July 5,; 1923 Apnl 21, 1925. 1,534,676

. G. E. ANDREW MANUFACTURE OF TAPE, CORD, YARN, ROPE FABRIC, OR OTHER MATERIAL PRODUCED FROM F ERS Filed July 5, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 HIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIH tamed Apr. 21, 1925.

UNITED STATES,

GEORGE EDWARD ANDREW, OF NORTHWOOD, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR T 1. P. LIMITED,

01 JERSEY, CHANNEL ISLANDS.

MANUFACTURE- or TAPE, 00

Application filed July 5 To all whom it may cm'zccrn:

Be it known thatiI, G non EDWARD AN- DREW, C. B., a subject of he King of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at 130 Green Lane. Northwood, in the county of Middlesex, England,-have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Manufacture of Tape, Cord, Yarn, Rope, Fabric, or other Material Produced from Fibers, of which the following is a specification.

. This invention relates to the manufacture of tape, yarn, cord, rope, fabric or other material (hereinafter generically referred to as material) roduced from fibers, and has particular re erence to methods in which I spun or unspun fibers and silk, cotton and other prepared yarns are employed for such manufacture.

The object of the present invention is to improve upon the hitherto known methods of the above kind and a particular advantage of the invention is that b its means it may be possible to employ fibers and the like hitherto thought to be unsuitable for the purpose while at the same time ensurin the utilization of the full strength of the fibers and ,the like and obtaining also complete protection from the harmful deleterious effects of moisture on the materials employed so that even those peculiarly subject to such harmful effects may be usefully adopted.

' The invention consists in a. method of forming tape, 'yarn. cord, rope, fabric or other, material which comprises coating or impregnating fibers or yarns. with vulcanized rubber latex.

The invention also consists in a method of forming tape, yarn, cord, rope or other fabric or material from unspun fibers which comprises the treatment of unspun fibers by means of vulcanized rubber latex inorder to bind or cohere the fibers to ether to form a strip or band of dete mine width but of either undetermined or determined length.

The strip may be spun or twisted to form arn, cord or the like and such yarns'or the ike may also be twisted or spun together to RD, YARN, ROPE, FABRIC, OTHER MATERIAL PRO- DUCED FROM FIBERS.

, 1923. Serial No. 649,692.

The invention also consists in other details and arrangements hereinafter described or indicated.

In carrying my invention into effect in one convenient manner, I take unspun fibers of any suitable character and I may arrange these in the usual slivers and subject the same to any combing or like treatment whereby the fibers may be spread into a band of suitable dimensions determined by the size of strip required. Such fibers are then caused to pass through a bath of hot water or otherwise as may be required for subse uent treatment with ammonia or like suitab e material acting as an anti-coagulant and/or preservative of latex, after which the fibers are assed through a bath of vulcanized rubber latex, being fed therethrough by, rollers 01' other suitable means and any necessary or desired appurtenances or accessories may be provided for the purpose of expressing any surplus latex from the strip which issues from the bath. The strip is thereupon dried by suitable means and if it in one direction or with the fibers laid in' various directions. For the formation of yarns or the like the strip is also dried and prior to twisting or spinning is preferably moistened with water. In such case I may employ a separating device to ensure that the yarn, cord or the like when spun shall be of the desired count or weight of fiber. In any modification of the invention the strip is preferably formed in known manner of a thickness approximatin to the thicknessof a single fiber, but this is not essential although it is referably, as in this way each individual fi r becomes encased in its own envelope of latex.

In carrying my invention into effect in an-' other convenient manner as, for example, in its application to silk, cotton or other .prepared 'yarn, I cause the yarn to pass through a bath of hot water or otherwise as may terial acting as an anti-coagulant and/or reservative of latex, afterwhich the yarn is passed through a bath of vulcanized rubber latex, being fed therethrough by rollers or other suitable means and any necessary or desired appurtenances or accessories may be suitable for a subsequent treatment with ammonia or like suitable ma- 1 be provided for the purpose of expressing any surplus latex from the am which issues from the bath and/or or imparting a smooth finish to the yarn. The yarn is thereupon dried by suitable means.

For the formation of cords or the like by impregnation with rubber in the form of anaqueous solution or colloidal'suspensio-n of rubber in water, and where it is important that as nearly as possible each fiber should be encased in the latex, it will be obvious that very small amounts should be individually treated, but otherwise larger yarns may be so treated as, for example, when preparing ropes by a method in accordance with the invention.

I may employ latex vulcanized according to British patent application No. 193451 of 1921, the commercial advantages of the use of which include obviating the necessity of vulcanizing after application of the latex to the fibers, yarn', cord, rope or the like, thereby eliminating the attendant disadvantages to the fibers or the like consequent upon exposing same to the deleterious effects of vulcanization, the articles so produced are mechanically greatly superior in resilience and breaking strain, thermal qualities are much better and the commercial cost of production of the finished articles'lower.

The accompanying drawings illustrate several convenient forms of apparatus in accordance with the invention and in the construction of which I may use such substances, metals or' the like suitable'niate rials that no injurious or other chemical ac-' tion may arise during the process of preparation and impregnation with latex in a preserved condition in accordance with the iiivention. -The baths, rollers, expressors or doctors and other machine parts which may come into contact with the prepared liquids or solutions, also latex, may preferably be made from hard wood, ebonite or other simiwith a method I may use for maintaining the latex in mechanical mixture or solution with any contained dressing, drugs, loading matter or the like as may be required for the finished product;

Figure 3 shows sectional elevations of one convenient form of controlled speed residue dofier;

Figures 4 and 5 are diagrammatic elevations of convenient forms of expressors or doctors which I may use for removing sur plus latex;

Figure 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation of an alternative form of apparatus, and

Figures 7 and 8 are front views on a larger scale of parts of Figure 6.

In the form of apparatus shown in Fig. ures 1 to 5 the material to be treated is taken from the usual form of cop, spool, reel or bobbin, a, and led through a suitable tension control device, 6, to a hot water bath, 0, through which it passes submerged under suitable rolers, d, d, and before passing to the dilute alkali bath, c, it is caused to pass through a wringing device, d, comprising a suitable roller adapted for the material under preparation by the action of which any surplus water or the like resulting from the process is removed before the material passes to the dilute alkali or the anti-coagulant bath, 6, where it is caused to be partially submerged or totally submerged throughout the length of the bath as may be required by passing under or over rollers e, e, to ensure satisfactory preparation for complete .impregnation to result. The repa-red material then passes to the latex ath, g, where it may be submerged or alternatively passed over latex roller 7', for contact impregnation.

The latex bath is so constructed that a minimum quantity of latex will sutfice for continuous working; also I may provide asuitable device for causing the continued necessary fluid agitation when it is important to maintain a mechanical mixture in a suitable desired condition, which obtains when the latex is used with an admixture of dressing, drugs, loading matter or the like. The agitatmg device, w, (Figure 2) comprises a sub1nerged"flow duct, together with suitable deflecting arrangements, which become operative in consequence of the fluid flow brought about by the partially immersed impregnating roller, f, and arranged as illustrated. v

The impregnated material on leaving the latex bath is taken to a series of rollers, two of which are indicated, 7' and Z, round which the material is caused to pass in different planes, the number of such rollers being de-. pendent upon the size and nature of the ma- Any surplus latex which ma be carried by the material is now remove by suitable expressors or doctors, convenient forms being indicated at Figures 4 and 5; these devices, k and k, may be so arranged that the material shall pass freely the points of contact arranged forremoval of surplus latex and so impart a smooth finish to the finished product. v p

The impregnated material thereafter passes in a suitable manner into a drying-off chamber, t, to creels, or rotary devices, m and n, capable of rotation in the same direction but with the axis of one creel or rotary device, at, arranged to be capable'of .adjustment as may bedesired with reference to the axis of the other creel or rotary device, m, in order that the material may be caused to follow a helical path many times around both creels or rotary devices as maybe necessary or desirable for the drying-01f operation to be satisfactorily completed before the impregnated material is taken to the winding engine, g, for spooling on a suitable spool, cop, reel, bobbin or the like, 0,. as

may be required for the finished product.

The impregnated material is received by the creels. or rotary devices, m and-n, in a moist condition, which would causea certain amount, of] residue to deposit at the points of contact when in the moist condition and to remove same in order to maintain the creels or rotary devices in a condition fit for continued I may employ a roller brush or other like suitable residue dofling device capable of being so employed and so adapted that its relative peripheral speed to that of the adjacent creel or rotary device may be under control.

I may use in accordance with the invention a convenient form of controlled speed residuedofler, s, as illustrated in Figure 3, comprising a suitable drum capable of rotation around a fixed bar or shaft, the axis of which is capable of adjustment relative to the adjacent creel or rotary device and provided with a fabric brush attachment alon and around its external diameter and fitted with a helical spring friction control attachment, substantially as illustrated.

Figures 6 to 8 illustrate one convenient form of apparatus for separating the rubberized fiber-strip which may be used in accordance with the invention for producin narrow widths of strip to the desir count as may be required. Figure 6 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the ap aratus. Fi re 7 isa diagrammatic section and elevation of the roller with separating face provided for securely holding in po-" sition the rubberized fiber strip when under 7 process of separationinto narrow widths to the desired-mun or fiber weight. Figure 8 isa'diagrammatic sectlon and elevation of one convenient method of forming-a sepatension rollers, p, and

rating device, 3 which comprises a series The roller, 12, provided with separatingface, is in this convenient arrangen ient free to revolve and does so by virtue of its being in close contact with the moving strip under process of separation, but I may arrange this roller to be operated by suitable mechanism connected with the receiving drum, .2. The direction of rotation of separating face roller, 11, is conveniently arranged to be contrary to that of the separating device, 3 and the speed of rotation" of the separating device, y, is greater than that of the separating roller, v. In this convenient form of separating device the rubberized strip to be separated is arranged to be taken from a suitable swift or strip holder, h, which is arranged to be capable of giving a controlled supply of strip as may be required, and it may be provided with a suitable friction delay device to ensure the strip being under control and taut,

substantially as illustrated at 2'.

The controlled stripon its way to the tension rollers or fixed bars, 1), is required to pass a correcting plane device, 1', which c0mprisesa perfectly smooth bar or series of bars or other similar mechanism, such as an adjustableangle plate or plates with a smooth edge or series of edges over whlch the stri may pass smoothly and which may be capa le of adjustment to any convenient angle as may be necessary to maintain alignment and relative position of the moving strip to certain fixed positions on the separating face roller in order that the strip may be delivered free from puckers, creases, doubling or the like and ensuring the separated strips bein of the correct count or fiber weight. e strip then passes from the tension rollers or bars,.p, under and round rollers, 'v and u, as indicated in Figure 6, both of these rollers being free to revolve at the same peripheral speed as that of the strip under process. of separation. The rubberlzed strip is securely held in position' against the separatin face of roller, '0, by virtue of its being un er suitable tension between the-points of its contact w th The rapidly revolving separating (fiavice, 31, operates against the direction of motion of the strip under process of separation and the speed of rotation of same is arranged to be relatively' muchgreater than that of the sepaand even separation into narrow widths of.

for carrying such methods into e be suitably modified depending upon any.

tension rollers, 12', as may be necessary to ensure an even winding on the receiving drum, 2, which may be arranged to be op erated'by either hand or power as required.

The rollers u and o are so arranged as-to be capable of concurrent vertical axial adjustmentrelative to separating device, y, as illustrated. I may provide a suitable bath of cold water, ar, in which the separating device may be partially immersed or, alternatively, I may provide a suitable cold Water spray for the separating device when in use in order to ensure a perfectly clean strip and also to maintain the separating device in a condition suitable for continued operation.

The invention is not to be limited to the details hereinbefore given by way of illustration, and the precise methods adopted in i the manufacture and the means Employed ect may through a bath ofammon'ia and then through vulcanized rubber latex prior to further treatment for the formation of the mate-rial.

3. A method of forming material from fibers which comprises passing the fibers through hot water, then throu h an anticoagu ant for latex and finally t rough vulcanized rubber latex prior to further treatment for the formation of the material.

4. A method of forming material from fibers which comprises passing the fibers through hot water then through ammonia and finally throughvulcanized rubber latex prior to further treatment for the formation of the material.

5. A method of forming material from fibers which comprises forming the fibers into yarn passing the yarn through an anticoagulant for latex and then through vulcanized rubber latex prior to further treatment for the formation of the material.

6. A method of forming material from into yarn, passing the yarn through hot water then through an anti-coagulant for latex and finally through vulcanized rubber latex prior to the further treatment of the yarn for the formation of the material.

7. A method of forming material from fibers which comprises spreading thefibers to form a strip of a thickness approximating to the thickness of a single fiber passing said fiber strip through an anti-coagulant for latex and then through vulcanized rubber latex prior to further treatment to form the finished material;

8. A methodof forming material from fibers which comprise passing a fiber yarn through a bath of hot water, then through an. anti-coagulant for latex and finally through vulcanized rubber latex.

I In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

GEORGE EDWARD ANDREW. 

